This was always going to happen - the dead, undemocratic, hand of Islam and it's adherents will again prevent the people of Egypt from having better lives and more freedom. But if that's what the people voted for, how can they complain now - surely they knew that the MB bullies would just take over and to hell with the rights of non-muslims? As with Hamas, so with Morsi.

Assad owes a big one to Morsi. There might have been some among the Assad gang who were willing to compromise. No more. Assad & Co. know full well what is waiting for them if they fold -which they won't, all the Western wishful thinking notwithstanding. Those who might have been a little squeamish about the bloodbath that is sure to come, are no longer so. So, thanks a lot, all you thugs of the Brotherhood, for having convinced Assad & Co. to fight to the bitter end, no matter what. May all you Brothers come to an early and ignominious end.

Here's the thing... When you play the long game, you have to wait. That is why it is called the long game! By jumping the gun, he was acting like the Muslim Brotherhood had instigated and won a revolution. They hadn't, the people now in the streets had.

If the brotherhood wanted to take power and be a dictatorship, the long game was their only play... "yes, yes, we love deomcratic society with rules" meanwhile, over a long time (hence the name long game) undercutting those rules in small ways. Turkey's muslim party may be playing a long game (tough to tell with the long game). Point is Morsi didn't understand the game he was playing.

Re: "The Egyptian president, Muhammad Morsi, is doing great damage to his country’s democracy" --

President Morsi is a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, known to support an Islamic state that offers no separation of Mosque and State. Democracy is seen as the rule of man; but the Brotherhood's form of Islamic State would be against the rule of man and for the rule, ONLY, of Allah. Thus the very notion that the President "is doing great damage to his country's democracy" is naive and uninformed.

The Hamas Charter, for example, explains the relationship of Hamas to the Brotherhood:

"Article Two: The Link between Hamas and the Association of Muslim Brothers.

The Islamic Resistance Movement is one of the wings of the Muslim Brothers in Palestine. The Muslim Brotherhood Movement is a world organization, the largest Islamic Movement in the modern era.

It is characterized by a profound understanding, by precise notions and by a complete comprehensiveness of all concepts of Islam in all domains of life: views and beliefs, politics and economics, education and society, jurisprudence and rule, indoctrination and teaching, the arts and publications, the hidden and the evident, and all the other domains of life."

That means "no separation of state --and any other aspect of life and culture--from mosque.

Re: "The Egyptian president, Muhammad Morsi, is doing great damage to his country’s democracy" --
President Morsi is a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, known to support an Islamic state that offers no separation of Mosque and State. Democracy is seen as the rule of man; but the Brotherhood's form of Islamic State would be against the rule of man and for the rule, ONLY, of Allah.
Thus the very notion that the President "is doing great damage to his country's democracy" is naive and uninformed. In order to allow the fall of Mubarak and the rise of Morsi and the Brotherhood, the American president had no choice but to couch the revolution in terms of "democracy" because Americans would never support an undemocratic revolution. But the goal of democracy has been illusory--nothing but a pretense, from the beginning. Either that, or the naivety of the West is beyond dangerous.
The Hamas Charter, for example, explains the relationship of Hamas to the Brotherhood:
"Article Two: The Link between Hamas and the Association of Muslim Brothers.
The Islamic Resistance Movement is one of the wings of the Muslim Brothers in Palestine. The Muslim Brotherhood Movement is a world organization, the largest Islamic Movement in the modern era.
It is characterized by a profound understanding, by precise notions and by a complete comprehensiveness of all concepts of Islam in all domains of life: views and beliefs, politics and economics, education and society, jurisprudence and rule, indoctrination and teaching, the arts and publications, the hidden and the evident, and all the other domains of life."
That means "no separation of state --and any other aspect of life and culture--from mosque.

Dear Economist writers
I regret to say that is all what was written is correct , I am moselem and I am asham of the dectetorship we live in today .
Mr. barady was correct but it is too late for blaming .
We need to read now and vote , hoping there is no cheating ?

this comment is written by Egyptian citizen who is not a member of Muslim brothers group or any political party in Egypt.

this article is completely biased and not accurate.

president Mursi is an elected president. there was an elected parliament too which was elected in a democratic way witnessed and monitored not only by the press and media but also by the international organizations interested in monitoring elections.

the parliamentary elections was done according to a law that has been issued by the military council (when it was ruling the country during the transition period), the law was first rejected by those political powers in Egypt who are calling themselves " liberal and western-oriented etc ". and in order to appease them the ruling military council at that time accepted their suggestions to amend this law, then the law was issued however at that time the high constitutional court warned that these amendments made to the law of the parliamentary elections might make it unconstitutional.

after that, the elections has been done and it was free, the liberal took a very minority while the islamists were the majority, the parliament was under a fierce attack not only because its performance was not good but because the liberal groups was dis-satisfied about it .

the military council in co-operation with the high constitutional court dissolved the parliament and their justification was that the law according to it the elections has been done was unconstitutional. actually this decision was welcomed by the liberal groups in Egypt. when I say liberal groups I mean AL BARADEAYY and AMR MOUSSA and SABBAHY and those who are in Tahrir square now.

the military council then retained the legislative power after the dissolved parliament. then the presidential election done and Mursi came and he make the Military council to get back to their job and he take the executive power since he is the elected president and he also took the legislative power not because he is a dictator but because the parliament has been dissolved and the legislative power moved to the military then to Mursi.

Mursi tried to retrieve the dissolved parliament after he became president but because of the strong opposition from the liberal groups he quit this attempt.

Then Mursi declared that the elected committee to write the constitution must be given the opportunity to finish the job in order to make a referendum on the constitution and if approved by the people he will call for a new parliamentary election in order to give the the legislative power to the elected parliament.

now what, the liberal group supported by some foreign parties were trying to dissolve the elected committee to write the constitution and they might be trying to remove even the elected president from his office, of course the liberal groups are supported also by the members of the high constitutional court who are judges appointed by Mubarak (the former president) and supported also by supporters and the members of the former regime

Mursi had no way to protect the democracy and his post and the elected committee to write the constitution other than using the legislative power he possess to issue the constitutional decree which protected the committee to write the constitution and which also give him the power to overthrow the attorney general who is not only one of Mubarak men but also he was a safeguard to the rest of his men who are still controlling important posts in the country and who used to be corrupt and who fear the punishment now

by the way the group which left the committee to write the constitution was approving more than 95 % of the accomplished constitution so far, and they have admitted for several times that it will be the best constitution Egypt have ever seen by the international standards of the modern constitutions in the democratic countries, however, their decision to leave the committee was just for political reasons and to get more gains through the pressure

also this article is not accurate when it tries to give the impression that the situation in Egypt now is divided among two equal parties, actually it is divided among two parties but the firs one which support Mursi is the massive majority and the second part which is against Mursi is the tiny minority.

Mursi has called for a referendum to vote on the new constitution let us all (the economist and its readers and writers) see how the people of Egypt will react to this referendum and how many will vote for and how many will vote against and how many will participate and how many will abstain.

also a big problem between Mursi and his supporters from one hand and the liberal groups and their supporters from the other hand is about the mechanism to select those who will write the constitution: Mursi and his supporters believe in the election process while the others believe in what, just the high scream/shout

Fantastic comment. Good to here from an egyptian.
The opposition is ridiculous they now they cannot defeat the muslim brotherhood at the ballot box, so they lean on the millitary and the mubarak judges. When that did not work they riot in the street. They not liberals but counter revelutionaries and they are a small minority born to rule and cannot accept they are defeated.

Ah, the Brothers are blogging on this Western decadent publication to try to explain away who they really are. Rather disingenuous, really. No sane person believes anything the Brothers and their shameless apologists say about respecting the law - unless it is Sharia, of course. That is the only law they respect...

A typical Muslim Brotherhood lying and twisting of facts. I'm glad Garaboncias saw though it, as did millions of people in Egypt and around the world
It wasn't the liberals who rejected the original election law, it was the MB that demanded revision, or they would boycott the election, knowing that they are the only organised force on the street, thanks to the stupidity of Mubarak, who kept them on a leash as a scare crow, while destroying all other opposition forces. They were warned that the law would be unconstitutional and easily challenged in court (there is precedence, the constitutional court annulled elections and dissolved parliament in 1990 based on a similar law) but the Brotherhood would not have any of it. This is all well documented with many testimonials. Egypt cheered the dissolution of the farcical parliament.

I did not bother to read the rest of the comment, I've heard it all before. Nobody believes your lies anymore, and you will answer for the blood that was spilled in front of the presidential palace, sooner or later, I promise you that.

First of all, I am not a member in the Moslem Brothers group or in any Egyptian political party. I was just writing what really happened. I do not have any problem to criticize the Moslem Brothers Group or its political party or any other political party or movement in Egypt but only when they make mistakes or when they do not respect the rules of the democratic game. your comments reflects the attitude of the extremist current opposition group in Egypt. I an not with the current Government in Egypt and also I am not against the current opposition groups in Egypt. I do respect the rules of Democracy and I know and believe that the committee to write the constitution must be elected either directly from the people or indirectly through elected parliament, also I do believe that a referendum on the Constitution must be done and the result must be not less than 80 % of voters said yes in order to accept the constitution, I do strongly oppose a constitution that is accepted while 60 % or less of voters say yes while 40 % say no. the constitution in order to be accepted must at least gain 80 % of votes. this is my opinion. by the way, regarding to the presidential palace accidents, i have heard and listened that most of the victims are moslem brothers members !

also, no one can deny that the current opposition groups in Egypt include the revolutionaries who started a revolution against Mubarak in addition to Mubarak regime members in addition to the judges of Mubarak who assisted him to opress his opponents for 30 years. so, really Morsi has done the impossible as he unified the opposition against himself.

I do strongly oppose the way the Moslem Brothers are following in practicing politics as they might have a flair toward dictatorship only in practice but the current opposition groups in Egypt suffers from the same problem

what I meant is that, I have a logic behind my own opinion. I do not have a preliminary opinion toward any party. I have to listen and analyze first and then I have to give the people their own opportunity to work and practice and achieve particularly if they have been elected in a free way. then I have to express about my own opinion. and that is the difference between I and you. you and those who are like you are opposing everything and anything and at anytime, just because they want to oppose simply because they are not ruling or because they failed to get the people trust. So, I said I not against the current opposition groups in Egypt, I mean I am not against them all or at anytime or in everything and also I do not have a preliminary opinion toward them so I can refuse them even without listening to them. some of the opposition groups have logic like those who said that the referendum on the constitution should only be passed if it get the approval of at least two thirds of the voters. other opposition groups are trying to destroy the country and conspire against the country by cooperating with the enemies inside and outside the country. till now I am talking to you in a polite way. I hope you have received the message.

It is not that they have "no understanding of the rule of law"; it is rather that the Infidel has little understanding of the Muslim Brotherhood, its deep connection to Hamas, and its goal of establishing the rule of Allah, alternatively described as:

"a complete comprehensiveness of all concepts of Islam in all domains of life: views and beliefs, politics and economics, education and society, jurisprudence and rule, indoctrination and teaching, the arts and publications, the hidden and the evident, and all the other domains of life." Hamas Charter, Article II.

"The Islamic Resistance Movement is one of the wings of the Muslim Brothers in Palestine." Hamas Charter, Article II

All Egypt has known are versions of theocracy, dictatorship and despotism. Not to mention that the current models of the most developed democratic systems are themselves influenced by corporatism and neoliberalism. Any version of 'democracy' Egypt implements will be within its political centre of gravity and cultural approval.
Are Egyptians still primed for another despot controlling the oligarchy and a 'business as usual' scenario?
Can there be evolution past current and future values, without developing the Egyptian cultural systems first?
It all really gets down to the political centre of gravities current culture demanding change. Because democracy is primarily about freedom to choose, if the local value system overrides any cultural evolvement, causing regresses or a static state, who's fault is it? [rhetorical] Clearly the answer is; the autonomous individual. Meaning individuals must choose democracy, previous values or an even more evolved system.
So can individuals carry this responsibility if it is outside this and previous generations understanding of governance?
The Asch experiment, points out how important the cultural tipping point is.

If we accept the argument of
Hisham El Shebeiny, above, that Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood were duly elected, then we must also accept that the majority of Egyptians are "still primed" for rule by a representative of the Muslim Brotherhood and all that entails.

Thanks for the reply Attendant Lord.
".... the majority of Egyptians are "still primed" for rule....." Attendant Lord wrote.
You appear to be on the ground, so it is your call, much respect.

The Brotherhood's credo was and is "........[god] is our objective"

Using phrases like these, could mean the underling culture wants to be ruled by a 'theocracy'. A ‘theocracy’ will always be in conflict with democracy. For example, America is struggling in minor ways with 'theocracy' in the culture currently. This is one of the reasons it is 'conflicted' over many minor issues compared to your 'life conditions'.http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2012/11/daily-chart-2

Egyptian culture either evolves past this relic called 'theocracy' or not. Choice is clear.

Only you have the right to say the "majority of Egyptians are still 'primed' for rule' and nothing is changing. On the other hand you are 'aware', so your friends and family must be aware. If Egypt evolves out of this 'theocratic thinking', leaving tribalism and advanced feudalism to history, it will be a better place for generations to come. Just how evolved as members of the global community Egyptians are, time will tell.http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2012/12/daily-chart-0http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theocracy

Civil war is starting in Egypt between radicals and moderate muslims. This may be an islamic world war and I hope non-islamic forces not to involve.
Islamic societies are not yet prepared for western style democracy as we can see with Egypt. Too late.
Perhaps not too late yet in Syria.
Henrique Salles da Fonseca
Lisbon - Portugal

Just read the draft constitution published by BBC and comparison to old one. In a word, Wow! The word "citizen" disappears in the state identity article, to be replaced by defacto dhimmis and ummah. So, aside from "Abrahamic" religious groups, what about the rest? Even the old Ottoman's Hanafist approach included Buddhists, Zoroastrians, etc, etc. among dhimmis. And then there are the many seeming contradictions within the articles between rights and powers. All consitutions are ultimately aspirational, so how will these work out between sharia courts, dhimmi courts, and existing court system? And all this atop potential loopholes big enough to drive Mamluk cavalry through.

The problem with the Moslem Brotherhood lies in the fact that they are a secretive, self-centered group. Their one and only concern is the Brotherhood and nothing else. But, in essence, they are no different than Mubarak; same lame biased internal policies as well as same regional role .. Mubarak with a beard!
Only difference is the fact that Morsi has proven himself much more divisive than Mubark could have ever been. Now, liberals, leftists, nationalists, civil society, Copts, women .. all are against him. Only MBs and some fundamentalist Salafi factions are siding with him.
With this configuration, he is clearly in a no-win situation. It is tragic that he, being tightly bound by his Brotherhood, cannot come back from the precipice.

As Christmas time is approaching why cant we all share this special time and promote PEACE.
I want to go to Bethlehem where the saviour of the WHOLE world was born.
I want to be able to go and visit Egypt and the pyramids.
Surely by now Tourism in Egypt is but inexhistant.
About time they sorted themselves out once and for all.
Merry Christmas .Inch Allah.Dieu Benisse.Shalom!

Another example of western hypocrisy and idiocy of its media. Mubarak was a great guy, great leader, maybe a strongman, but "enlightened" one.
It was a matter of time, where those "democratic rulers" turn out to be a next strongmen.
So, dear editors and other western propagandist, stop writing this crap about "pro-democracy" movements. Lukashenka even asked Americans to democratize him and Belarus, after the Saudi Arabia democratization. Why America and the EU don't want to democratize Saudi Arabia, PRC, but they had no restraints to accept the regime changes in Egypt, Libya or Tunisia.
I must admit, that Russia has right about Syria. Assad should crush those terrorist rats. Otherwise, Syria will be next Egypt or Iran.
Morsi, beeing an islamist swine should be overthrown in Mossadeq style. US and UK had the experience, it should not be a problem.

Not so fast.
As an Israeli both suspicious and fearful of the MB I must state that Morsi has been a pleasant surprise.
His performance has been inconsistent but in many parts to the good.
What 'he would like' is all too clear. But in all fairness he has learned much faster than our PM [who has also learned] the limits of aspirations and the boundaries that reality sets.
Egypt has become a ' player ' of increased stature. And Morsi likes this role. He realises that he is now inexorably linked with Obama. The latest handling of the Gaza episode has proven Obama's seemingly very improbable hopes held for any MB led democracy. In one stroke the Obama - Morsi axis has removed Iran from Gaza, shown accommodation to Israel & this legitimised the MB & the Obama 'doctrine'.
Obama holds the purse strings. A Democratic President cannot be associated with a MB that seems to be regressing to a characterisation of itself.
All this suggests that Morsi will back track and quickly so.
I certainly hope that Morsi will show that he is as fast a learner as he seems to be and correct his latest move which could otherwise be, as you suggest, bad and cataclysmically so

Given his short time in office, and in serious politics for that matter, it's hard to see Morsi having a substantial power base. He's certainly not backed up by the military, and most of the public distrusts his party. Whether he distances himself from the decree and saves face, or not, Morsi has been politically weakened by this move.